SURGICAL STRIKE
SURGICAL STRIKE “24/7 Hate”
By Theron Moore
All hell shakes loose March 1 when thrash monsters SURGICAL STRIKE go full scorched Earth with the release of their new album “24/7 Hate” via Metalville. SURGICAL STRIKE hit the scene in 2016 with their debut EP “V:II:XII”. Four years later they dropped their first full length offering, “Part Of A Sick World”. And just like clockwork, they’re back again with their second full length record, “24/7 Hate”.
Is it cool, is it good, is it thrashtastic? The answer is, yep, it’s all of that. “24/7 Hate” is 11 tracks of speedy, aggressive metal very much in the vein of 80’s thrash and by 80’s thrash I mean EXODUS and the classic Bay Area sound. Before you get the pitchforks out, let’s not get the wrong idea here, I’m not inferring that SURGICAL STRIKE ripped off EXODUS but there is a slight nod to the band both musically and with the vox.
Is it a bad thing? Nah, it all works out because SURGICAL STRIKE maintains their musical identity so a little hero worship ain’t a bad thing. Take for example, song six, “Lonely Decision.” That 80’s Bay Area thrash influence is definitely there but the song itself is all STRIKE and nothing else. The same goes for the title track and “Rose War”, all standout tunes.
SURGICAL STRIKE is OK in my book. The new album is all thrash, all speed, all the time. The band never lets up on the gas pedal and “24/7 Hate” is probably some of the best “New Wave Of Bay Area Thrash” I’ve heard in a long time. I definitely recommend checking out “24/7 Hate” as well as the band’s back catalog. Buy it, stream it, YouTube it, but welcome to planet Mosh, motherfuckers.
4/5 Stars